Brief intro

Located 100 km from the ‘Hippy’ land of Pushkar, Kuchaman is a lovely village that was discovered by Thakur Zalim Singh in 1781 A.D. Hey…do not be dissuaded by the name as there isn’t anyone ‘zalim’ that will harm you here as the place is completely safe to travel. The most prominent highlight of this village is a beautiful fort that still looks opulent and attracts such wanderers that wish to scoot away from the chaos of their urban lives. There is a hotel where you can stay put and enjoy wandering around the fort.

The fort is a remarkable piece of architecture with inlay work done on the façade that has been decorated with semi precious stones and glass. There is the charming Sheesh Mahal that itself is worth a million bucks and will keep you occupied while you stay inside the fort. Close to the village of Kuchaman is Pushkar where the famous Camel Festival is held every winter. If you are lucky enough, you can get to witness this amazing festival and a chance to mingle with people of different creed and castes.

More about

Kuchaman City is a city and a municipality in Nagaur district in the Indian state of Rajasthan. The city includes a few Havelis in the Shekhawati style and a fort overlooking the city. The fort is about 1100 years old and was built in the 9th century, by the [Rathore] ruler, Zalim Singh. One can also find fresco painting there on variable subjects such as flowers, motifs, and Hindu mythology.

In 950, the Chauhans of Ajmer drove out the Gurjar Pratihars to open a new chapter in the history of Kuchaman Fort. In the following centuries, the Gaurs won and controlled the fort until they surrendered it to the Rathores. Being Suryavanshi Kshatriyas, who trace their lineage back to Lord Rama, the hero of the epic Ramayana, the Rathores brought to the fort their long view. In 470 AD with Nayal Pals conquest of Kanauj, near modern Kanpur in U.P.

The fort is a major tourist attraction and is also part of the route of Palace on Wheels. A few havelis have also opened their doors to the foreign guests, who visit during the winter.

In 2006, part of the Bollywood movie Drona, starring Abhishek Bachchan was shot at Kuchaman Fort.

In 2008, part of the movie Jodha-Akbar starring Hrithik Roshan and Ashwarya Rai was shot at Kuchaman Fort.

Sightseeing

Kuchaman fort

Perched atop a 1,000-foot-high (300 m) cliff, the Kuchaman Fort is the most important attraction in Kuchaman. Currently a heritage hotel, the fort displays a rich collection of original inlay work in semi-precious stones, glass, and gold paint. The Sheesh Mahal (glass palace) is a sight for marvel. A colorful bazaar, located below the fort, is a great place to shop for handicrafts and fabrics.

Meera Mahal

The Meera Mahal is an exquisite palace which plays host to the miniature paintings illustrating the life story of Rathore poet-saint Meerabai, the passionate devotee of Lord Krishna. The passion and dedication with which Meera (a married Rajput woman) worshiped Lord Krishna has been a part of the folklore for ages and is still considered to be one of the finest efforts by any devotee to evince the allegiance to the Lord. Ranjit Singh constructed the Mahal (Palace) and its temple, which contains lok devta and gurus.

Jal mahal

Jal Mahal (Water Palace) is a unique concept visualized and implemented with an aim to provide the queens and princesses with a hidden swimming pool. The fort has two swimming pools. Jal Mahal, an underground pool, is royal in every aspect with its supercilious cloisters and arcades. The fort is now a heritage hotel and provides an opportunity to its customers to swim in these pools and envisage the imperial beauties that once owned and used it. Apparently the pool is also capable of controlling the water temperature.

Sabha prakash

The Sabha Prakash (Illumination Meeting) used to be the formal chambers for meetings and for holding court to interact with citizens. Many critical decisions for welfare and dispute settlement were delivered from the main hall. The hall itself is decorated exquisitely and is adorned with polished walls strewn with semi-precious pebbles and shingles that are intricately inlaid. The decoration of the Sabha Prakash was deliberately done, keeping in mind the exhaustive exposure it would have to the public eye. The decoration shifts towards the Shekhavati style. However, most of the decoration is unique to the Kuchaman Fort.

Shakumbhri Hill

Shakti Peeth Shakumbhri, meaning the abode of Shakti Goddess Shakambhari or Shakumbhri, is situated ioutside from urban area, at a distance of 3 km to the South of Kuchaman. Perched in the midst of the Aravali mountain range, this temple is believed to have been built during the rule of the Raja Pratap Singh. Twice a year, in the Ashwin and Chaitra months of the Hindu calendar (during the days of Navratra), the famous Shakumbhri Mela is organised. About 100 meter southeast of Shakumbari lies the Bhura Dev (BHAIRAV) temple which is considered to be the guard of Shakumbari Devi.